Home » Philippines » The journey continues...(ok, so these titles are lacking in inspiration - any ideas?)

These last couple of weeks have been a mixture of the rushed and relaxed. To start at the beginning, which you have doubtless realised rarely happens in my blogs, arriving in Cebu, I gave myself a similar challenge to Manila of getting to my hostel in Cebu City without the use of a [boring] taxi. Naturally, arriving during a monsoonal downpour gave me second thoughts, but they both passed quickly, and so first I went in search of a tricycle to Lapu-Lapu City, though I am at a loss to the use of the word 'city' here. It was more of a random collection of backstreets, which I travelled through on the back of a bike, rucksack still firmly attached to my back, and more than one confused stare from a local. Unlike many travellers that, ironically, actually don't like travelling, I'm not one of them - not yet anyway (ask me again when I reach India). On local transport particularly, I enjoy the partial unexpectedness of it; it's a great way to see a lot and get a feel of an area and its people, even if it can often take twice as long. Thus, 3 hours later, with two jeepney transfers and a lot of help from locals (as I arrived without a map or any prior knowledge of names of local districts - I come prepared, as always), I got to the busy centre of Cebu City.

The journey continues...(ok, so these titles are lacking in inspiration - any ideas?)

Simon Wadsworth
2006-09-04 17:02:21

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just as bright. It's a working island, with 4 towns, fishing boats along the shore, the sound of cockerals roosting on and on and on (and on) and an exporter of over 10 million eggs. A couple where I was staying (a few huts just back amongst the beach in the palms where the only danger to tranquility comes from falling coconuts) said this was their favourite beach, just ahead of the Perentians and Ko Pha Ngan down at #5, so I think I chose well.

No decent snorkling sadly, but I sat, read, wrote, swam, ate, read, sat, did some thinking, swam, and slept for 5 days, by bright sunlight by day and candlelight by night due to recent powercuts, making the island feel like being back in 2002 to one resident - how places change quickly, and it's hard not to feel guilty at being part of this change and wondering what the island will look like in 5 years time. I also befriended a local Swiss/Filipino couple who have just started up a new restaurant, and besides being known as "tourist #8", I would go to the market with them in the morning, all 3 of us on the back of a motorcycle, and we'd come back with 4 live chickens dangling from the handlebars, or some fresh fish. They offered to cook anything I wanted while I was there: shrimp, sweat n sour fish, curry, even spag-bog, all with fresh ingredients and tasted great! (Plug-in time: restaurant 'Amigo Place' opposite the Sugar Beach Resort). So you get the idea - I wound down for a few days, relaxed the muscles, let some air into my rucksack and drained my mp3 player battery.

On my final day I also managed to find something very popular in Filipino culture, which I'm glad I experienced, even if it does invoke abhorent feelings to the average westerner - a cockfight. The actual fight itself only has about a minute of frisky action before a winner is not-so-subtly decided (either by death, lots of blood or running away in fear). But the lead up took over 2 hours, with lots of men hanging around in circles holding their 'birds' (choosing my words carefully here to refrain from this blog turning into a pornographic story), playing with themselves, spitting - being men basically - while shouting and laughing at each other. It's times like that I wish I spoke the language. A friend and I were hoping to place a bet to make it more interesting, but it appears the art of betting was too confusing for the likes of me who's gambling experience consists of the Grant National, a few rounds of Poker and a game of Bingo. Besides, apparently, you can't actually win anything - if you 'win', you just get your money back. Hmm - a little phoney if you ask me. But it's actual serious business over here. Many spend more money on their 'bird' than their entire family - medicines, feeds, their own bus seat etc. It's a crazy world we live in.

Anyways, I'm back in Cebu City now, having left Bantayan Island yesterday after a small village fiesta, where you have to pay each time you want to go on the dance floor to dance to a song (the more popular a song, the more you pay - bloody cheeky). A good place to have a beer and say goodbye. I fly back to Manila later today, to visit some random International Bamboo Organ Festival (I do seem to find this random stuff, don't I?!) before flying to the capital of the Backpacker World on Tuesday - Kao San Road, Bangkok. Oh dear....

Much love,
xx